Little-known Soho pub The Devonshire has announced it will open its long-awaited roof terrace next week.
From Monday, May 20, landlord Oisín Rogers will open the fourth-storey outdoor space as and when the weather permits. The terrace will seat 40, acting as an additional floor of the restaurant, and will serve the full menu of food and drink available throughout the rest of the building.
The terrace will not be bookable, Rogers told the Standard. Instead, guests who have already have a restaurant reservation indoors will be offered the option to dine al fresco, should they wish.
“It won’t be bookable because of the vagueries of the British weather,” Rogers said. “But if you’re already booked and the roof is open, you’ll be able to make a decision.”
Should some guests decide to dine outside, it will open up the rest of the Devonshire for walk-in custom.
The experience, Rogers explained, “will be exactly the same as you’d get in the restaurant.
“I do expect that people are more likely to have a crab salad, order langoustines, halibut, half a lobster. They might drink some pink wine, or a glass of Champagne. But it’s the same menu, the same service, the same feeling as you’ll get downstairs.
“The menu lends itself to how you’re feeling, and to the weather.”
While London is not short of outside spaces to dine in, Rogers said the Devonshire’s rooftop would feel special as “you can hear the buzz, the noise and the atmosphere from below. You’re outside but not on the street — I think we’re one of the few places in central where that’s the case — and you can overlook Piccadilly Circus or the [Piccadilly] theatre while you’re having a pint.”
